U.S. representative Ayanna Pressley (D-MA 7th District) discussed her upbringing, activism and response to the war in Israel and Palestine at a Brown Dems event on Wednesday.
Pressley was the first African American woman elected to the Boston City Council and the first African American woman elected to represent Massachusetts in Congress in 2018. Pressley is a founding member of 鈥淭he Squad,鈥� a group of progressive Congress members, and has championed legislative efforts around Medicare, housing rights, the Green New Deal, student debt relief and abortion access.
She visited campus on Wednesday as a recipient of the John F. Kennedy Jr. 鈥�83 Award for Inspiring Youth in Politics.
The event filled a room in Maddock Alumni Center drawing roughly 60 attendees. Brown Dems collaborated with the Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity and the Africana Studies department on the event, according to Brown Dems Co-President Cecilia Marrinan 鈥�24, who moderated the event.
Pressley opened the discussion with reflections on her upbringing.
鈥淚 consider myself very fortunate because I saw my mother鈥檚 humanity early on,鈥� she explained. Raised by a single parent, she praised her mother鈥檚 community involvement and tenacity amidst trauma as precedents for her political career.
She also cited Shirley Chisholm, Barbara Jordan, her grandfather and her father as other influences.
鈥淲hen people say that they鈥檙e their ancestors鈥� wildest dreams? I鈥檓 my ancestors鈥� wildest dreams, on steroids,鈥� Pressley joked.
In her response to the ongoing war in Israel and Palestine and recent encampment protests on college campuses, Pressley expressed solidarity with the pro-Palestine movement and its efforts to center 鈥渢he humanity and dignity of the Palestinian people.鈥�
She supports a bilateral ceasefire, framing her cause as 鈥減ro-humanity鈥� and 鈥渃ollective liberation.鈥� Acknowledging a lack of action from the Oval Office, she encouraged audience members to retain their hope, citing building support and discourse in Congress. 鈥淭hat is an example of the power of movement building.鈥�
Pressley elaborated that she 鈥�(champions) peace and diplomacy鈥� across all acute conflicts. 鈥淚 think history has proven to us that we cannot bomb our way to peace. I do not believe that vengeance is a foreign policy doctor.鈥�
During her freshman orientation at Boston University, Pressley said she was advised to never 鈥渇orget the plot, (which) is the people.鈥�
鈥淧olicies are not a static document 鈥� they animate in people鈥檚 lives, they are dynamic,鈥� she added. 鈥淚鈥檓 definitely going to operate with discernment about where I compromise, especially when it seems that the same communities are asked to compromise the most over and over again.鈥�
鈥淚 choose the discipline of hope over the ease of cynicism鈥� I choose fortitude over fatalism,鈥� she added.
鈥淚 believe that people closest to the pain should be closest to the power,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 believe in cooperative governing. I believe in the power of stories to change hearts, minds and policy.鈥�
She cited conversations with reproductive health care providers and patients as part of her work on the Abortion Justice Act of 2023, which she .
She stressed the importance of the legislation as 鈥渁 matter of life and death,鈥� especially given 鈥渢he rising maternal morbidity crisis (and) its predominant impact on Black and Brown women.鈥�
The event was followed by a Q&A reception, where audience members conversed with Pressley on more specific matters.
鈥淚n a time when things are so divided, I think a lot of people are struggling to really recognize each other鈥檚 humanity,鈥� said Maya Laur 鈥�24, who said she was inspired by Pressley鈥檚 humanitarian ethos.
鈥淲e have to go out and build our coalitions, and that comes through hope, through reaching out to people,鈥� Ethan Zuzker 鈥�24 added. 鈥淚t was a very positive, affirmative mindset to take and a very inspiring and effective way to create coalitions.鈥�
Michele Togbe 鈥�27, who attended the event at the encouragement of her African American Politics professor, emphasized the relevance of Pressley鈥檚 comments. 鈥淗er remarks on injustice were really important to me,鈥� she said. 鈥淓specially鈥� with the encampment that鈥檚 going on right outside.鈥�
Megan is a Senior Staff Writer covering community and activism in Providence. Born and raised in Hong Kong, she spends her free time drinking coffee and wishing she was Meg Ryan in a Nora Ephron movie.
